Page 6 of Dr. Fellow

While I like to think that I’m adventurous in bed, the one thing I would never do is cross the line with a married man. Part of that is because I’m a Leo, and I refuse to share attention with anyone. The other part is that I’m a child of divorce, so I intimately understand the repercussions of illicit affairs—I have no desire to cause anyone to go through the headache I watched as a kid. Not even for the most gorgeous man in the world . . . which he isn’t, but he’s definitely close.

“Hmmm,” Cassidy muses into the rim of her wine glass. Her eyes are sparkling, like they’re dying to tell me something.

“Yes?”

She takes a deep breath to build suspense and then quickly blurts, “Parker told me that Walker is actually getting divorced, and they’ve been separated since December, and it’s supposed to be final soon.”

I feel my eyes go wide because there are multiple interesting things about the statement she just made. And while I would love to unpack the part about the surgeon who made my entire body tingle with just a single look, I decide to shift gears on our conversation—this is the first time she’s mentioned speaking to her fiancé in a week.

“Oh, Parker told you? Care to update me?” I plaster a fake grin on my face like I’m happy for her when the truth is that the fucker does nothing but piss me off.

I’ve never felt like he deserved my angelic best friend, and all I can pray for is that she comes to her senses before the wedding. But if she doesn’t, I’ll pray that there’s no prenup. That way she’ll take half when she inevitably gets sick of his bullshit.

“Well,” Cass says tentatively, setting down her wine glass on a ceramic coaster. “Remind me what the last thing I told you was?”

“That your bitch boy fiancé can’t see that you’re the best thing to ever happen to him,” I answer.

Cassidy didn’t say those words, but I’m paraphrasing.

Basically, Parker acted like a petulant child and wouldn’t speak to her because his ex-best friend, Weston, came back into town. And yes, it doesn’t help that Weston also happens to be Cassidy’s high school ex-boyfriend. Or that Cass kept in touch with him behind Parker’s back. Even I will admit that it wasn’t her best choice. However, I’m going to support her in whatever she does because my loyalty lies with my best friend, not her fiancé.

“Ah,” she sighs, looking away for a moment like she doesn’t want to tell me anything.

I probably should have phrased my words better and controlled my tone, but sometimes I struggle to hold my tongue.

Sorry that I’m human.

“By the way,” I add, trying to draw her back in, “you know that I support you in whatever you do right? If you want to go all ‘Goodbye Earl’ and wrap Parker’s ass in a tarp, I’ll be the one next to you giving him the black-eyed peas. And if you want to elope and marry his ass tomorrow, I’ll call in to the hospital and personally cover your shifts. I’ll be there for you no matter what you decide.”

Her expression softens despite the threat in my words. “I know. You’re the most loyal person I know, Morg, and I’m sorry I haven’t updated you. I’ve just been terrified that things wouldn’t work out, and I didn’t want to admit that to anyone, let alone myself.”

She takes a deep breath like she’s gathering her thoughts before continuing, “I think I just needed to sit with my guilt for a minute because the situation was entirely my fault. Parker asked me not to keep secrets from him, and I went behind his back. Again.”

I feel my blood start to boil.

Has he considered why she kept secrets from him?

Maybe it’s because he’s a goddamn baby who can’t handle any truth other than the one that he makes up in his tiny little brain. And maybe if he pulled his head out of his ass and listened to her side of the story, they wouldn’t be in this situation at all.

If I were in her shoes, I would’ve just been honest with the fucker, let him blow up, and then moved on like an adult. But for some reason, Cass walks on eggshells around him. And I hate that for her because she deserves better. She deserves more than a life of treading on thin ice.

“He doesn’t—”

“He does,” Cass interrupts me in a harsh tone. “He does get to ask that, Morg. And he had every right to react the way that he did.”

“So, what?” I ask, throwing my arms in the air dramatically because I clearly can’t be tamed when it comes to defending people that I love. “He’s just going to ignore you every time you do something he doesn’t agree with? Gaslight you into thinking that you’re the problem, when really it’s him? That’s manipulation, Cass, not a beautiful marriage.”

She blinks a few times, like she’s stunned by what I just said. “Do you really believe that?”

I have to take a second to think about how to respond. I didn’t mean to be so honest, but the words just spilled out and now I can’t take them back.

“No, I don’t,” I reply, though it’s a half-truth. “I think the two of you will figure your shit out and be totally fine. But I also think that you let him steamroll you just because you want to be together. And sometimes I don’t understand why. I mean, I know he’s got a big dick and all, but is it really worth it?”

My joke lands and her lips twitch into a small smile, slightly easing the tension between us.

“It’s worth it,” she teases. “But I understand where you’re coming from. When Parker came home from drinks after work yesterday, we hashed it all out. We’re in a much better place now.”

“Did you?” I arch my brow. “God, please tell me that your ass is okay.”

---